A blog covering all matters refereeing, the Premier League, Football League, Scottish football and occasionally European football

Football League: Simon Hooper to referee Fulham v Newcastle opener

Simon Hooper will referee Friday’s 2016-17 Championship opener, while three officials make their Football League debuts and Lee Probert returns to action.

On the box: Hooper handled six Championship games on TV last season, as well as one in League One and another in the League Cup (Picture from Sky Sports)

SIMON Hooper will referee the opening match of the 2016-17 SkyBet English Football League season on Friday night.

The 34-year-old, from Wiltshire, will be in the middle for Fulham against relegated Newcastle United in the Championship at Craven Cottage (KO 19:45 BST, live on Sky Sports).

He will be ably assisted in west London by Adam Crysell (Essex) and Robert Hyde (London), while the fourth official is David Coote (west Yorkshire), who will fulfil the same role for Saturday’s Championship match between Bristol City and newly-promoted Wigan Athletic at Ashton Gate.

Hooper will also be the fourth official for Ipswich Town’s match with Barnsley at Portman Road on Saturday.

Aim: Hooper, who has been fourth official for a number of Premier League games, has ambitions to become a Select Group referee (Picture from Sky Sports)

Last season, he took charge of his only Premier League game on the opening weekend when Norwich lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace at Carrow Road – in which he controversially ruled out a second-half Cameron Jerome equaliser for the Canaries.

Failing to make the grade at Swindon Town as a striker when released at the age of 16 after seven years at his hometown club, Hooper took up refereeing with his father Pete and progressed to earn promotion to the Football League as a linesman in 2006.

It’s the start of Fulham’s third consecutive season in the Championship and first full campaign under former Watford manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

Newcastle, relegated from the Premier League last season, face a second Championship season in six years and Rafael Benitez’s side have been installed as promotion favourites by bookmakers.

Established: Langford has handled almost 200 games in his eight seasons in the Football League so far (Picture from Sky Sports)

Elsewhere, Oliver Langford will be in charge of Sunday’s first televised game between QPR and Leeds United at Loftus Road (KO 12:00 BST, live on Sky Sports).

The West Midlands whistler will be assisted by Steven Meredith (Nottinghamshire) and Mark Russell (Somerset), while Andy Madley (west Yorkshire) will be the fourth official.

Also, Stephen Martin will be the man in charge for Sunday’s other game as Sheffield Wednesday take on Aston Villa (KO 16:30 BST, live on Sky Sports).

The Staffordshire-based referee will make the decisions at Hillsborough as last season’s play-off finalists Wednesday host relegated Villa, who will be under Roberto di Matteo in a competitive game for the first time.

Martin – who was fourth official for the League One Play-Off Final in May – has officiated over 150 Football League games since joining the National Group in 2012.

It’s not the first time he has received a Championship TV game on the opening weekend of the season after overseeing Ipswich’s 2-1 win over Fulham in August 2014.

Brooks was a linesman for a number of high-profile Premier League games, as well as the 2014 Championship Play-Off Final and 2016 FA Cup Final – both at Wembley.

The 26-year-old will oversee Gary Bowyer’s first match in charge of the Seasiders, with the assistance of Michael Denton (Lancashire), Wayne Grunnill (East Yorkshire) and fourth official Alan Clayton (Cheshire).

Jones has refereed in the National League and Women’s Super League for two years as well as being a Football League assistant for over 100 games.

He will be assisted on Saturday by Ravel Cheosiaua (Worcestershire) and Select Group linesman Andy Garratt (west Midlands), with Eddie Smart (west Midlands) in control of electronic board duties.

Meanwhile, Yates, who had been a Football League assistant since 2009, only refereed 21 National League games in two seasons but was fourth official for May’s Promotion Final between Grimsby Town and Forest Green Rovers.

His assistant referees at Somerset Park are Matt Eva (Surrey) and Michael Webb (Surrey), while Simon Knapp (Bristol) will be the fourth official.

MEANWHILE…

Injury-ravaged: Probert has handled 145 Premier League games since 2007 but only seven in the last two seasons (Picture from Sky Sports)

Premier League referee Lee Probert is set to make his long-awaited return from injury this weekend.

The Wiltshire-based whistler will take charge of the League Two clash between newly-promoted Cheltenham Town and Leyton Orient.

He will be assisted by Select Group linesmen Derek Eaton (Gloucestershire) and Andrew Fox (Warwickshire), with Marc Perry (West Midlands) acting as fourth official.

Probert has only handled 22 games in all competitions in the last two seasons having been sidelined with leg, knee and back problems respectively.

It led to rumours the 43-year-old could be forced to retire prematurely but, after officiating several pre-season friendlies, he will be back on duty at Whaddon Road – close to where he was born in south Gloucestershire.

Seeing red: Probert sent off Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini in their goalless draw at Hull in his last domestic match on the final day of the 2014-15 Premier League season (Picture from Sky Sports)

Probert oversaw just one game last season – a Europa League qualifier in Belgium in July between Charleroi and Beitar Jerusalem, in which he issued seven yellows and two red cards.

(Reuters) - The return of all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a welcome boost to the England squad as he provides much-needed balance and lifts morale, team mate Moeen Ali said ahead of the two-match test series in New Zealand.

(Reuters) - An emotional Juan Martin del Potro could barely believe he had finally won a Masters 1000 series title at the 51st attempt at Indian Wells on Sunday but is determined to keep the trophies coming in his late career renaissance.